Image

Elocution places importance on everything the audience can see or hear.  This includes the way in which we present ourselves.  The looks we have and the outfits we wear are great factors in the message we try to send to our audience.  This ideal of the elocutionary movements carries the same sentiments as we do when we choose our outfits for a romantic night out or a very important job interview.  The importance of the speaker's personal image has been shown to have roots in occult teachings and the supernatural.  To some elocutionists, such as Francois Delsarte, the body was meant to "postulate correspondence between two aspects of life*the visible outer world and the invisible spiritual realm*and three spheres*the natural, spiritual, and divine’’ (Corresponding with Delsarte, p. 134).  Self image is present in every stand up comedian, and each image of body portrays a different message than the ones around it.  In this video we see Bill Burr selling his image to the audience simply by his outward appearance.  Bill Burr doesn't wear anything fancier than a casual button down shirt which he doesn't even tuck in.  As he presents his routine, he leans on the microphone stand with one arm.  His generally informal posture matches his act as an angry man with a Bostonian accent.  Because of his image, Bill Burr is able to sell his act to the audience much more effectively.